Indirect Assessment: Alumni Survey Data

SLIS surveys its alumni on an annual basis, contacting students who graduated SLIS two and seven years prior to the survey date as a form of indirect assessment of the MS (LIS) degree program achievement of its mission. The annual alumni survey measures alumni perception of the degree to which SLIS achieved its mission to “prepare students for inspired service, advocacy, and leadership in library and information science, archives, computer science, and children's and young adult literature.”

The alumni survey results demonstrate that, on average:

a majority of SLIS alumni surveyed between 2015 and 2017 (78.2%) strongly agree or agree that SLIS “effectively prepared [them] for professional practice in an information setting;”

a majority of SLIS alumni surveyed between 2012 and 2014 (61%) believe that SLIS prepared them “very well” or “more than adequately” for their current occupation;

a majority of SLIS alumni surveyed between 2012 and 2015 strongly agree or agree (72.2%) that they use the “skills and competencies they learned at SLIS” at their current jobs or that SLIS courses “prepared [them] for the skills and competencies needed in [their] job[s].”

Student responses to the following survey questions indicate SLIS success at achieving its mission in greater detail in two categories: “Preparation for Professional Practice” and “Professional Skills and Competencies.”

Preparation for Professional Practice:

The tables below describe alumni survey respondents’ answers to questions meant to measure their perceptions of the MS (LIS) degree program’s success as preparing students for professional practice.

2015 - 2017 Survey Question:

Overall, SLIS effectively prepared me for professional practice in an information setting.

Responses

Survey Year

2015 (n=124)

2016 (n=79)

2017 (n=96)

[graduates surveyed:
2008 and 2013]

[graduates surveyed:
2009 and 2014]

[graduates surveyed:
2010 and 2015]

Strongly Agree

25%

27.8%

34%

Agree

54%

46.8%

47%

Neutral

16%

16%

13%

Disagree

4%

3.8%

3%

Strongly Disagree

.8%

5%

3%

2012 - 2014 Survey Question:

Overall, how well did SLIS [2012 survey reads “the GSLIS program” instead of “SLIS”] prepare you for your current occupation?

Responses

Survey Year

2012 (n=82)

2013 (n=172)

2014 (n=137)

[graduates surveyed:
2011]

[graduates surveyed:
2006 and 2011]

[graduates surveyed:
2007 and 2012]

Very Well

18.3%

23.8%

29%

More than Adequately

22%

44.8%

45%

Adequately

43.9%

15.7%

16%

Less than Adequately

6.1%

12%

5.8%

Not very well at all
[2012 survey = "Poorly"]

2.4%

3.5%

3.6%

Professional Skills and Competencies:

Alumni surveys issued from 2012 - 2015 included a question written to determine respondents’ perceptions of the MS (LIS) degree program’s success teaching students the “skills and competencies” they judge are needed in their professional work. The table below describes these responses. Surveys issued in 2016 and 2017 do not include a comparable question.

Responses

Survey Year

2012 (n=82)

2013 (n=176)

2014 (n=142)

2015 (n=124)

[graduates surveyed:
2011]

[graduates surveyed:
2006 and 2011]

[graduates surveyed:
2007 and 2012]

[graduates surveyed:
2008 and 2013]

Question as phrased in survey

I use the skills and competencies that I learned in the GSLIS program in my job.

I use the skills and competencies that I learned in GSLIS in my job.

I use the skills and competencies that I learned in GSLIS in my job.

SLIS courses prepared me for the skills and competencies needed in my job.